Advice needed: large OpenGL + Widgets Project for Molecular Graphics

[Mike C. Fletcher]

Rick Muller wrote:

>"Mike C. Fletcher" <mcfletch at rogers.com> wrote in message news:<mailman.27.1079431794.742.python-list at python.org>...
>  
>
...

>>Togl is pretty much history.  I'll likely fix the installer one last 
>>time for the next bug-fix release (2.0.2) and then drop the thing.  I've 
>>been looking for someone who uses Tkinter+Togl to champion maintenance 
>>of the thing for years and never found anyone interested enough to 
>>bother.  I'm not a huge fan of Tkinter either, for that matter.
>>    
>>
>
>Help me out with this: is it that the togl project is history, or that
>the Python bindings for Togl are history? I've poked around the Togl
>website (http://togl.sf.net), and I'm not overwhelmed with new
>releases. Plus, there don't seem to be many posts to the mailing list
>in the last year.
>  
>
Togl the Tcl/Tk project is moribund, but then, it's very old technology 
that's been stable for years.  Togl is just setting up a context for 
Tkinter and hooking it up to various event handlers.  For the most part 
all GUI-library interfaces can be similarly static.  The only problems 
that come up with it in an average year are configuration and 
installation ones.  It's the Tkinter binding that's on it's way to the 
graveyard, precisely because of those configuration and installation 
headaches.

For instance, the upgrade of Tkinter to 8.4 in Python 2.3.x broke the 
Togl install for us (it's still broken).  It's possible to build and 
install the widget manually, but the automated installer fails due to 
some deep Tk or Tcl or Togl bug.  Working around that is fairly trivial, 
but it means going back and reworking the installer's Togl code... not a 
big deal... but nowhere near the top of my list of priorities for the 
few hours I get now and then to work on the project.  So, the 8 or 9 
line change doesn't get done, and the Tkinter/Togl binding languishes 
(and eventually dies).  The problems aren't huge, they just don't have 
anyone available who's actually using the library and willing to 
find/fix them.

>But I'm amazed that more people don't need to put an OpenGL window in
>a graphical widget -- seems like a common task. How do people do this?
>  
>
wxPython.

I think there's a few with GTK, Qt and Fox as well, all of which can mix 
in widgets fine, but I don't hang out on those user-groups any more to 
hear from them and thus be able to say for sure.  In all fairness, there 
are also lots of people who have, in the past, used Tkinter/Togl, but 
since they're not willing to speak up and help with the maintenance I 
don't feel the need to plug their platform (in either applicable sense 
of the word) ;) .

Have fun,
Mike

_______________________________________
  Mike C. Fletcher
  Designer, VR Plumber, Coder
  http://members.rogers.com/mcfletch/